GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – The Eastern Carolina Vocational Center (ECVC) celebrated six decades of service and success Thursday night at its 60th Anniversary Banquet at Rock Springs Center, with a special keynote address by actor, motivational speaker, and retired professional bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno, best known for his iconic role as The Incredible Hulk.
Held in conjunction with National Disability Employment Awareness Month, the event highlighted ECVC’s mission of helping individuals with disabilities attain a higher quality of life through the achievement of their vocational goals.
The evening honored ECVC’s partners, employees, and the community for their continued support of inclusive employment opportunities.
Ferrigno suffered from 75-80 percent hearing loss as a kid, but had a passion for bodybuilding, which opened doors to his acting career. He says you have to be determined to overcome your challenges.
Ferrigno says, “Well, the thing is you can’t feel sorry for yourself. Only you can give yourself action. You can’t listen to the naysayers, ask others for approval. It’s all about giving yourself approval. Like for example, I had to deal with the profound hearing loss. I had the speech impediment. But I fought like a warrior, saying to myself, I gotta get somewhere because I don’t want to feel sorry for myself because it’s all about taking action and embracing your passion.“
Another highlight of the evening was the presentation of the Employee Success Story of the Year award, presented to William Hippard, recognizing his success through meaningful employment in the community.
ECVC is a self-sustaining nonprofit and an AbilityOne federal contractor, proudly contributing to our national supply chain—including serving as one of the largest suppliers of batteries to the U.S. Military.
WITN is a proud supporter of ECVC. WITN’s Dave Jordan served as emcee for the night.
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